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Tarnish removed with cleaning plate; now silver goes yellow in dishwasher

My cleaning lady used one of the metal plates, etc., to polish my sterling flatware and other pieces. The flatware looked very clean and shiny, although the decorative design does not show up as well. Now, when put in the dishwasher, it gets a very ugly light yellow cast. I have used it in the dishwasher for years and never experienced this. Just wish I had known what she was doing. It is not attractive at all. Is there a way to counteract all of this? I have the same silver pattern as my mom and grandmother, so some is very, very old, and some newer.

Carole Higgins
personal owner - Sarasota Florida USA
February 10, 2011

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Hi, Carole.

It seems more likely to me that a different dishwasher detergent, or some other factor in the dishwasher, is causing the silver to tarnish quicker than it used to. But you can easily wipe the silverware down with a silverware cloth and see what happens next time you wash it. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 9, 2011

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Silver has a patina that is a very dense oxide. The cleaning lady may have removed some or all of that layer, so you are forming , very rapidly, a new less dense oxide layer.

Some dishwashing soaps are very hard on silver, so some (many) people recommend hand washing. If the color is not formed immediately on coming out of the dishwasher, try storing it in Pacific Cloth.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
February 10, 2011

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The yellow color, which eventually darkens to brown, on silver is caused by sulfide ions in air or water. It's possible that there is a trace of sulfide in your water. This is usually accompanied by a rotten egg odor, particularly in the hot water. The only solution that I can recommend is to wash by hand in cold water.

Lyle Kirman
consultant - Cleveland Heights, Ohio
February 14, 2011